'Amadeus' Holds Top Spot For Third Week

Chalk up another big week for Austrian pop star Falco, whose international hit ''Rock Me Amadeus'' is now in its third straight week as champion of the American pop chart.

''Amadeus'' kept its title despite a strong challenge from Prince & the Revolution's ''Kiss,'' which moved from No. 3 to No. 2 on the pop list and repeated at No. 1 on the black/urban chart.

Though ''Kiss'' looks like a good bet to replace ''Amadeus'' as No. 1 next week, this week's showing by another Prince-written single -- ''Manic Monday'' by the Bangles -- could put his own song in jeopardy.

That's because ''Manic Monday'' zipped all the way from No. 7 to No. 3, and now is in position to challenge ''Kiss'' for the top spot. The double success of ''Kiss'' and ''Manic Monday'' also makes Prince the first songwriter to have two of the three top pop singles since November 1984. That time, the lucky songwriter also was Prince, with ''Purple Rain'' at No. 2 and Chaka Khan's ''I Feel for You'' at No. 3.

Over on the album chart, Whitney Houston's Whitney Houston LP is in its sixth week at No. 1, giving her the longest run at the top since the Miami Vice soundtrack last fall. But her reign could soon be ended by Van Halen's new 5150, which debuted this week at an incredible No. 13, and will soon crack the Top 5.

Pick hits of the week: The sprightly ''All I Need Is a Miracle'' by Mike and the Mechanics is a follow-up to their recent No. 6 hit ''Silent Running.'' Madonna's ''Live to Tell'' is a ballad from a movie soundtrack (At Close Range) that is even more anemic than last year's ''Crazy for You'' (a No. 1 hit from the movie VisionQuest). But ''Live to Tell'' will likely be just as successful. Why? Because of the terrific demand for new material from the Material Girl, who has not released a single in months.

Dud of the week, with reservations: Voices of America's ''Hands Across America'' is the benefit song released to promote next month's fund-raising event for hunger relief in the United States. It's hard to be so cold-hearted about a song with such a good purpose, but the fact remains that the only thing the lackluster ''Hands'' has going for it is its novelty value. It has neither the supercharged vocal punch of ''We Are the World,'' which hit No. 1 a year ago, nor the strong melodic line that pushed ''That's What Friends Are For'' to the top in January.